Healing Angel
by Augustus Sol
Summary: Inuyasha was a broken man on the edge of insanity. Drowning in his grief, he shut out the world and his family. The world comes knocking though in the form of Kagome Higurashi, a grief counselor down on her luck.


**Thank you for taking the time out of your day to click and read my story Healing Angel. I really enjoyed writing the first chapter. In real life I'm a substance abuse counselor so this does have a personal connection to me even though Kagome is a grief counselor instead. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story I have to offer and please don't forget to review.**

* * *

The drink burns his throat but it reminds him that he's alive. He enjoys the pain it brings as it slides down his jugular and he also enjoys the numbness that settles over his mind from the drink. It is the middle of the day and yet he is sitting alone at home, drinking like he always does. He knows there is something he should be doing; working perhaps, or visiting his family, maybe even visiting her grave. He doesn't though; instead he sits at home intoxicating himself.

Somewhere he can hear the sound of a phone ringing. In his detached mind he realizes it's his phone. As he wonders, he slowly comes to the conclusion it's his brother calling. His brother had been trying since a month after her death to make him come out and face the world. The drunken man had ignored him, always throwing insults in his direction. Never in the past had his brother tried to help, so why let him when he tried?

A sudden beep startles the man out of his unresponsive state. Obviously his brother had decided to leave a message. As if it would work any better than the last hundred he had left. The man listens anyways, wondering what would be said in the voice-mail.

_"Inuyasha, it has been a year since Kikyo's death. Get over yourself and do something with your life. I know you can hear me Inuyasha so I will state this now. I am sending someone to help you. She should be there tomorrow at nine in the morning. I told her where the key is so if you aren't up she won't be standing outside all day. Get sober Inuyasha and call me back, father and I are worried."_

"Yeah, like I'll believe ya asshole. You ain't worried about me, not now, not ever," Inuyasha slurs. The alcohol is making quick work of Inuyasha's words, they are slow and spaced out. It is quite obvious he's drunk.

Inuyasha grabs another bottle. Earlier he had set all his bottles containing alcohol on the table, intent on getting so drunk he would pass out or die, either was fine. The one in his hand now wasn't like the one he had just drunk. That had been vodka, this was beer. It was fine by Inuyasha, as long as it numbed the pain that had grown and nestles inside his heart, he was fine. One thought continued to ring in his mind, even in his alcohol induced numbness.

How long would this woman last?

* * *

Kagome let out a long, shaky breath. It was hard to imagine that she was getting a new client after the last one she'd had had blown up in her face so badly. She'd thought that her career was over and that she would return to manning the drive-through at WacDonald's. She loathed the thought of having to ask a person what they wanted for minimum wage.

From what the person who had hired her had said, her new client was an alcoholic. Kagome had never dealt with an alcoholic before and she was excited to try. From her studies back in collage she remembered only a little regarding substance abuse, but she'd brushed up on how it worked and she knew she could handle this since his alcohol abuse stemmed from grief. She had never really had the desire to help alcoholics since she knew they could get violent. That didn't mean she hadn't done a little work though.

The man who had hired her, Sesshoumaru, had also informed her that her client was the way he was because his fiancé had died a year ago. She hadn't been surprised when this had been the reason. It was a common reason for someone to get depressed and go into lock-down when a person they cared deeply for died. At least she had a lot of experience in this area. And she also knew where they came from.

Kagome opened the car door after seeing what time it was. She had six minutes to get there or else she would be late. It was never good to be late in cases like this. Just as her last case had proven, if your late it could mean the difference between life and death. She pushed back the memories of her last case, swearing that this one wouldn't end up the same way.

Arriving at the door to apartment number twenty-six Kagome already knew she had much to do. The entire complex was a dump. Obviously her new charge was going to be a challenge to deal with. He'd most likely be a slob that slept the day away and never kept his home clean.

Kagome lifted the welcome mat up, disgusted with herself for touching it. The smell was repulsive and it looked as if someone had had diarrhea on it then threw up as well. Quickly she grabbed the key and dropped the mat. Already she had decided that that was going to go.

"Hello? Is there a Mr. Inuyasha Takemura here?" she asked, pushing the door open. After waiting a few moments with no reply, she stepped further into the apartment. It was not a very pretty home, probably hadn't been cleaned in a year. As she took in the sights, she saw pictures of a man with waist-length silver hair and gold eyes and a black haired, brown eyes woman that, as she looked closer at, looked quite similar in appearances to Kagome.

"Who are ya?" Kagome spun around to find the man in the pictures standing in the doorway to the kitchen, bottle of whiskey in hand. This must've been Inuyasha.

"My name is Kagome Higurashi and I was hired by a Sesshoumaru Tekaru to help you. May I-"

"Get out, I don't need yer help," he said, cutting her off. Kagome had experienced this before; the person who had problems normally wouldn't admit them and would try to scare off anyone who said they did.

"Mr. Takemura you need to admit that you nee-"

"I know I have problems! Just leave me alone!" he yelled. Kagome stepped closer to Inuyasha and watched as he stiffened. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm in what she hoped was a reassuring way. The way his eyes were glaring at her hand and his lips were drawn back in a snarl told her that he didn't appreciate her effort.

"Mr. Takemura I happy you know you have problems but that isn't going to help if you don't face them. Please al-"

"And accept her death? Never!" Inuyasha bellowed in rage. The silver haired man raised his clenched fist and brought it down hard on Kagome's cheek. Kagome's hands instantly went to cradle her cheek while a shocked expression took its' place on Kagome's face. She understood that drunks could be violent but she hadn't expected his out-burst.

In a split second, Kagome went from cradling her cheek to grabbing onto the edge of Inuyasha's couch in an attempt to break her fall. Blue-grey eyes glanced up to find the violent drunk, and saw his white hair disappearing around a wall as he headed into the kitchen.

She pushed herself up, using the couch as an anchor and then proceeded to collapse on said couch. The feel of the couch on her skin was grimy and sweat-soaked. The couch would have to go as well, she thought with a sigh.

She scanned the darkened apartment again. Alcohol bottles littered the floor, along with junk food wrappers and soiled clothing. "Men's" magazines were sticking out from little niches and from underneath the soiled clothing, faces of beautiful women and long, toned legs peeking out at Kagome. There were lots of pictures of Mr. Takemura and his late fiancé, Kikyo as she had been informed. She was a beautiful woman, with a bright smile and such obvious goodness. Certainly the woman was rolling in her grave at the thought of the man she loved wasting away his life in a drunken stupor over her passing. A small smile lit her face at the image of the woman.

The smile dropped slightly as realization dawned in Kagome. Determination filled her, and the smile returned bigger and better than before. For Kikyo she would do this, she would help the drunkard Inuyasha Takemura.


End file.
